Stories from the Field: Mental Health and the Outdoors

Carson McCord is a former wilderness therapy student whose struggles with addiction and path to recovery are the subject of the book "Chasing Carson: A Family's Journey through Adolescence, Addiction and Recovery," written by his mother. The book is a powerful memoir about his and his family's experience with addiction and how wilderness therapy helped all of them to heal. Carson shares his perspectives on the book, his recovery process, and how wilderness helped. Carson shares how he decided to go to a young adult wilderness therapy program and how his life has changed since his teen years. Carson talks about being a field guide in a wilderness therapy program in Utah, what he has seen in his time there, and his thoughts about transporting unwilling teens to wilderness therapy programs.

We want to thank the sponsors of Season 14 Brightstone Transitions, Point School, and Wisdom Ranch. Season 14 focuses on young adult programs.

Jill Allen is the CEO of Brightstone Transitions in Georgia and Brightstone Family of Programs, including Wisdom Ranch in Idaho and Point School in Puerto Rico. Brightstone Family of Programs provides services for young adults in different locations depending on their needs. Many Brightstones Family of Program clients have attended young adult wilderness therapy programs before enrolling.

Jill shares her journey into the field, from being raised in Vermont to working at a therapeutic school in Connecticut and jobs in Utah and Florida. Jill shares how Brightstones clients dealt with the pandemic, the services that Brightstone provides, and how wilderness therapy programs help young people transition to Brightstone programs.

Season 14 of the Stories from the Field is all about Young Adults in wilderness therapy and aftercare programs and is sponsored by Brightstone Transitions, Point School, and Wisdom Ranch.

Alex Mufson is the founder and CEO of Aspen Growth Coaching, which is a team of "specialized coaches that help turn insight into sustainable action, supporting individuals and families to move towards a healthier life." Alex shares her journey into the field, the history of Aspen Growth Coaching, and how she went from helping animals to helping families. She reveals how Aspen Growth Coaching, with its remote coaching model, filled a particular niche in the field and the differences between coaching and therapy. She also discusses what families should be looking for when hiring a coach.

Alex's bio from the Aspen Growth Coaching website: Alex holds a bachelor's degree in Feminist Studies and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has worked in clinical treatment, advocacy and coaching settings for 15 years. Her experience as a therapist and parent coach in a residential treatment setting includes leading a multidisciplinary treatment team for adolescent girls and developing a unique animal-centered therapy program. Alex's background also includes well over a decade working as a Certified Advocate for Domestic Violence Survivors and coaching clients through major life transitions. Always pushing the limits of conventional treatment, Alex is known for encouraging her clients and her team to be curious and to look for insight and inspiration in unlikely places. Clients often describe Alex as simultaneously tough and caring and appreciate her direct and clear-headed approach to relationships. Alex is of the firm belief that good treatment starts with care for the provider, and empowers her team to be radically innovative and unapologetically bold in their professional and personal lives. When not focused on AGC, you can find Alex outside with her crew of five cattle dogs and four horses, or lifting weights and eating lots of plants!

Patrick Hawkins is the founder of Triple Divide Lodge in Montana. Triple Divide Lodge is a 90-day program that combines residential treatment and wilderness therapy expeditions for boys ages 14-19. Patrick founded the program in 2021 and shares how this substance abuse treatment program works and how it differs from other wilderness programs. Patrick talks about what inspired him to work in wilderness therapy, including his over 25 years of working at the first-of-its-kind Wilderness Treatment Center. He shares the influences on the Triple Divide model, including Outward Bound and the National Outdoor Leadership School. Patrick reflects on how the field is changing, controversies related to the field, and what advice he has for people interested in working in wilderness therapy.

Patricks's bio from the Triple Divide Lodge website:

Patrick Hawkins is a Licensed Addictions Counselor with over 25 years of experience. During his career, he has worked with over 5,000 young men in primary treatment. Since 1995, he has been dedicated to working with adolescents and young adults. With a national reputation, Patrick has presented at multiple conferences and is considered a leader in treating young men, especially in an outdoor/experiential type setting. He has led 50+ expeditions accumulating over 1,100 days in the backcountry guiding hundreds of clients on their journeys through the wilderness and into recovery. Patrick brings all this experience to the young men in treatment daily while also imparting it to the entire team.

Lucy Pritzker is an author, educational consultant, and founder of Elm Street Placements, Inc. Lucy shares her journey into the field which began with one of her children began struggling at a young age. She reveals the challenges the family went through to get the help they needed and how the long and difficult journey resulted in her pivoting in her career to become an educational consultant. After a decade of being an educational consultant, Lucy decided to write a guidebook to help parents understand the different types of treatment options from outpatient to intensive outpatient, wilderness therapy, and many more. Her book "Crisis Interrupted: A Parents Guide to Residential Treatment for Children, Teens & Young Adults" is filled with case students and narratives is a must-have for parents to help guide them on the treatment journey for their child, teen, or young adults

Bio from the Elm Street Placements Website: Lucy Pritzker is an Educational Consultant and founder of Elm Street Placements, Inc. Her experience advising parents on academic and therapeutic placements for their children brings unparalleled expertise to her book "Crisis Interrupted: A Parents' Guide to Residential Placement for Children, Teens and Young Adults." Lucy travels extensively to visit and evaluate schools and treatment programs in the USA and beyond. She has a Master's degree in addiction counseling and over 25 years of experience working in educational and therapeutic settings. Lucy is a member of the Independent Educational Consultant Association (IECA) and is a member of the IECA board. She is also on the Board of Trustees at Hampshire Country School. In her free time, Lucy can be found creating art in her stained-glass studio, working in her garden, enjoying her donkeys and horses on her miniature horse farm and spending time with her husband and three children on their sailboat

Matt Nannis is the Founder and Executive Director of PIVOTpoint. PIVOTpoint is a non-profit organization that provides outpatient "Therapeutic Adventure Work" through various outdoor programs in and around the Asheville, North Carolina area. Matt shares his journey into the field and how he experienced the power of therapeutic wilderness experiences while going through a healing process for himself. Matt describes what inspired him to start Pivotpoint, why it is a non-profit organization, and the different programs that Pivotpoint provides for its participants.

Allkindsoftherapy.com is sponsoring Season 13 of the podcast and will focus on experts who help families navigate treatment options. You can find Pivotpoint on the All Kinds of Therapy Website.

Link to All Kinds of Therapy

All Kinds of Therapy Blog

All Kinds of Therapy Job Postings

All Kinds of Therapy Newsletters

Beth Laughlin is the Program Director and owner of 360 Transition Services which "helps adolescents and young adults successfully transition from treatment to home, college, or independence." Beth shares her journey into the field, the history of 360 transitions, and the benefits of coaching for parents and young people. Beth reveals how young people often prefer " therapy incognito," how parents should look at regression after discharge from wilderness treatment, and how the field has changed over the last five years. Beth reveals the many insights she has gained from coaching families for over a decade.

Allkindsoftherapy.com is sponsoring Season 13 which focuses on experts who help families navigate treatment options. You can find 360 Transitions in the Expert Section of All Kinds of Therapy Website.

Link to All Kinds of Therapy

All Kinds of Therapy Blog

All Kinds of Therapy Job Postings

All Kinds of Therapy Newsletters

Dr. Todd Corelli (Drtoddtalks.com) is a clinical psychologist who has been providing psychological testing for young people in wilderness therapy programs for over 20 years. Todd discusses the benefits of delivering testing in wilderness settings, some of the major issues he sees, and how testing results have changed in the last decade. Todd shares how the pandemic and isolation have taken a toll on young people and what helps to get them through it. He reveals an upcoming book and video series about connection and parenting. Todd also discusses what every person in wilderness therapy should know about psychological testing.

Allkindsoftherapy.com is sponsoring Season 13 of the podcast and will focus on experts who help families navigate treatment options. You can find Dr. Todd Correlli on the expert section All Kinds of Therapy Website.

Link to All Kinds of Therapy

All Kinds of Therapy Blog

All Kinds of Therapy Job Postings

All Kinds of Therapy Newsletters

Mark Adamski is the founder of Wilderness Reboot, a new "alumni network for students after leaving wilderness therapy." Mark shares his journey into the field, from learning about outdoor leadership in high school to working as an outdoor guide in Norway to transitioning to being a wilderness therapy field guide at Pacific Quest in Hawaii and then working at Pure Life in Costa Rica. When the pandemic began, Mark left wilderness therapy to pursue a graduate school education and started a coaching service. Mark discusses how Wilderness Reboot helps alumni of wilderness therapy programs through its various services.

Allkindsoftherapy.com is sponsoring Season 13 of the podcast and will focus on experts who help families navigate treatment options. You can find Mark Adamski Coaching on the expert section of All Kinds of Therapy .com.

Link to All Kinds of Therapy

All Kinds of Therapy Blog

All Kinds of Therapy Job Postings

All Kinds of Therapy Newsletters

AllKindsoftherapy.com is sponsoring Season 13 of the podcast and will focus on experts who help families navigate treatment options. You can find Prepare to Bloom in the expert's section of the All Kinds of Therapy Website.

Link to All Kinds of Therapy

All Kinds of Therapy Blog

All Kinds of Therapy Job Postings

All Kinds of Therapy Newsletters